Trees of Guatemala is the essential reference book for anyone working with trees in Guatemala, including foresters, ecologists, botanists, wildlife biologists, students, tree enthusiasts, and backyard gardeners. This work has complete botanical descriptions for over 2,300 species and varieties of trees found in Guatemala, both native and introduced, aided by more than 930 detailed pen-and-ink drawings. A glossary of botanical terms, with illustrations, are included to clarify the terms used.
Guatemala's place on the globe, with its unique mixture of temperate and tropical elements, connected to the north by cold mountain ranges, and to the south by lowlands with hot, tropical influences, have made it a country with a grand variety of trees. A mosaic of ecological characteristics, with a wide variation in rainfall and drought, temperatures and soils, result in an extremely diverse species list.
Tracey Parker, PhD, forest ecologist, environmental consultant, professor and photographer, holds a bachelor's degree in forestry from Colorado State University, and masters and doctorate from the University of Idaho. Dr. Parker moved with her family from Nepal to Guatemala in 1994, and began teaching dendrology in the Forestry Department at the Universidad del Valle. She held the position of Regional Environmental Advisor at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) where her work took her to all the countries of Central America, expanding her knowledge of the vegetation throughout the isthmus.